Op-Ed: Six marchers at a Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem have been stabbed and the assailant is said to be Yishai Schlissel, an ultra-orthodox Jew who reportedly was freed one month ago from a 12-year sentence for a similar attack in 2005.

Sunday mainstream news outlets are reporting that one of the victims, Shira Banki, 16, has died.

The attack came within minutes of the parade getting underway.

YNet reports "Shlissel was imprisoned for the stabbing in 2005. He was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison, but was released early, just one month ago, on good behavior."

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and allows us to comment what a huge mistake that was.

In the 2005 attack Schilssel wounded three people close to where Thursday's attack took place and told police he had come “to kill in the name of God.”

For that attack he was convicted of attempted murder.

Shira Banki, as pictured on her Facebook page

One of the injured in Thursday's attack was 16-year-old Shira Banki who sustained serious injuries. She was stabbed in the back.

In a statement from his office, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the attack saying "We are talking about a very serious incident. “We will find justice with the perpetrators. In the State of Israel the freedom of personal choice is one of the basic values we cherish. We must guarantee that in Israel, every man and women will live in safety in any way they choose."

Wise words but imagine if the knife attacker had been a member of the Islamic faith?

But religious zealots come in many shapes, sizes and religions.

Orthodox Jews in Israel do not support the annual Gay Pride Parade and some of the more extreme and Ultra-Orthodox Jews prefer to call it “the Parade of Abomination."

With that in mind the timing of the release of Schilssel could not have been worse. A month later, after the parade, may have been a more sensible option but if he is fit to be returned to society that should not matter.

If he still had hate in his heart there is always next year's parade for him to look forward to.

Maybe this time, if or when he is convicted, he will be forced to serve a full sentence which surely should be much longer?

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